Hello St. John’s Family,
It happened again. As a powerful morning of worship – focused on hope – concluded last Sunday, we emerged to learn of a tragedy in Michigan. Updates noting a shooting, fire, uncertainty, and fear filled our newsfeeds and weighed on our hearts. Like you, I was haunted by the feeling of how wrong that is. Concerns about facing violence and acts of hatred should not weigh on us anywhere… yet they are especially troubling when occurring in a house of worship. We should feel safe when we gather as the Body of Christ.
This thought has remained on my mind throughout the week. Do we feel safe here at St. John’s? Do our children and their parents feel safe here? I sense we often don’t even think about that, yet we cannot take safety for granted today. We should not live in fear, and we also should not ignore the realities of our world. We hear of how the disciples gathered behind locked doors in threatening times (John 20:19, 26), and we understand why. We also recall how locked doors didn’t prevent Jesus from entering in.
As I reflected on all this, something else popped into my mind. Early this summer, a young girl named Mikayla came with her grandmother to St. John’s for the first time. Mikayla was very apprehensive, unfamiliar with what happens in Sunday School or worship. Almost immediately another young girl came up to Mikayla and took her hand. Ellie told Mikayla not to be afraid; everyone here was nice and that Sunday School is a lot of fun. Now, rumor has it that Ellie further reassured Mikayla by saying something along the lines of don’t worry… you’re with me, and my parents are big around here! You never know what a child might say – and I’m incredibly thankful for that! Because Ellie feels safe, cared for, and loved, she didn’t hesitate to welcome and reassure a new friend. A new friend who then attended VBS, and almost every Sunday since that day.
I firmly believe that is the atmosphere we’re called to cultivate: a place where every child of God – regardless of age – feels safe, cared for, and loved. We’ve done a pretty good job of that; we also can never take for granted how an atmosphere of safety, caring, and love doesn’t just “happen.” It requires intentional focus and diligence. It requires us to ensure our facility both welcomes and protects, while reassuring guests (especially parents) that we care about their safety and the safety of their children. Sometimes, that may even require sacrifices, like blocking off the Education Wing Hallway during Sunday School to ensure only Safe Sanctuary-cleared persons are present. A minor inconvenience that is transformed into an offering of love, when made to help cultivate the loving, caring, safe, and secure atmosphere of God’s house.
Please know that I, the staff, and leadership here at St. John’s understand how critical it is to cultivate a loving and safe environment. We’ve already had discussions on how to improve our safety, and we welcome your ideas. We also need your help, including additional greeters to maintain a presence at each entrance on Sundays. If you are willing to serve God in this capacity, please reach out to the office, or to me.
This Sunday we’ll gather to worship and praise Christ Jesus, who is greater than any struggle or fear we face. We’ll explore the virtue of faith – which is closely related to hope – as we hear of a request from Jesus’ disciples… and his surprising reply. We’ll also join with congregations across the globe to commune at our Lord’s Table in recognition of World Communion Sunday – it will be a powerful morning of worship! Check out Luke 17:5-10 (read verses 1-10 for full context) and Psalm 89:1-8 and then join me in worship on Sunday!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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